The Robin Masters Estate (Pahonu)

[Dennis]

Perhaps this was discussed in previous posts, but was the boathouse/guesthouse spared from demolition? I see the gatehouse was kept, which is interesting considering it was likely to be as dilapidated as the main house.

[robicurp]

Yes, the guest house/ boat house still exists

[Derek]

Yes, yes, yes! I think so many people struggle with this because they can’t let go of the simple fact that it’s NOT a guesthouse. It wasn’t conceived of as a guesthouse. It wasn’t designed as a guesthouse. It wasn’t built as a guesthouse.

Thanks for clarifying this. So if some excentric billionaire decided to buy and restore/rebuild the estate as it was in the TV show (yes yes, just dreaming ), should they adapt the interior to the "outside house" such that there is a match, or should they have the interior comply with what we can see in the show and change the outside of the house accordingly? If I had any say in this hypothetical situation, I think I'd go with the former - the interior scenes were shot in a different place anyway, and yes, as pointed out, in real life there would be an escape door at ground level..

[Pahonu]

Yes, yes, yes! I think so many people struggle with this because they can’t let go of the simple fact that it’s NOT a guesthouse. It wasn’t conceived of as a guesthouse. It wasn’t designed as a guesthouse. It wasn’t built as a guesthouse.

Thanks for clarifying this. So if some excentric billionaire decided to buy and restore/rebuild the estate as it was in the TV show (yes yes, just dreaming ), should they adapt the interior to the "outside house" such that there is a match, or should they have the interior comply with what we can see in the show and change the outside of the house accordingly? If I had any say in this hypothetical situation, I think I'd go with the former - the interior scenes were shot in a different place anyway, and yes, as pointed out, in real life there would be an escape door at ground level..

No worries. I enjoy these conversations. I agree with your thought. I would adapt the interiors to fit the existing structures. The alternative would lead to some seriously fugly building exteriors! That would be true for the main house as well as the boathouse! That said, I think that the “guesthouse” would look far more different inside compared to the sets than the main house would. The main house has so much space to “fudge” some of the interiors to fit into it. The boathouse upstairs is just so small. The upstairs could have only a small living space, with stairs crowding that small space leading down to a kitchen/dining space and also a bedroom and bathroom below. The lower level is about three times the size of the upper level. It could fit all those things. The alternative would be a small kitchen/dining space upstairs, with a living room, bedroom, and bathroom downstairs. Either way it wouldn’t be the same as the set. Hence so many fans disappointment.

[Canada Jones]

I visited Pahonu in the summer of 2019. I wanted to get there before any further renovations were done to the property. While I was there I was told by the locals that former President Obama had visited the property several times and though it was initially denied that he had anything to do with the sale, it looks like he does. They are building two houses on the estate to get around some bylaws about house sizes. There are two excellent articles worth reading and they also show the new layout of the estate and how it has been subdivided. Apparently one house is for President Obama and the other one is for Nesbitt (the person who bought the property). They applied for and got, a permit to rip down the original sea wall and put a new one up. There was some opposition but if you read here you can see how they did that:

This is the best article for picture: https://www.propublica.org/article/obam ... -loopholes

Here is a follow up article about the loophole exemptions being approved: https://www.staradvertiser.com/2020/11/ ... ntal-laws/

This is another great article: https://www.amlu.com/2020/08/22/preside ... i-mansion/

QUESTION: Does any one know when the old seawall will be coming down? The one thing that shocked me was that in Magnum PI, the beach is just a few feet from the top of the sea wall - in other words, there is a ton of sand. When I went two years ago, there was probably 5 feet from the top of the seawall to the beach (which is very small now). SO there has been a lot of deterioration of the beach. The new seawall will be 11 feet apparently, which I am sure is better for privacy and security, but I would imagine it will have a fortress type look to it.

It looks like the old boat house is there - not sure if it will be renovated or torn down, but it was there when I was.
QUESTION: I am wondering, has anyone been allowed access to the inside of that boat house and if so are there photos of the interior as it is now? Just wondering.
thanks
Canada

[NotthatRick]

Thanks for sharing these articles. Obama and Nesbitt.

[ZelenskyTheValiant (Ivan)]

I visited Pahonu in the summer of 2019. I wanted to get there before any further renovations were done to the property. While I was there I was told by the locals that former President Obama had visited the property several times and though it was initially denied that he had anything to do with the sale, it looks like he does. They are building two houses on the estate to get around some bylaws about house sizes. There are two excellent articles worth reading and they also show the new layout of the estate and how it has been subdivided. Apparently one house is for President Obama and the other one is for Nesbitt (the person who bought the property). They applied for and got, a permit to rip down the original sea wall and put a new one up. There was some opposition but if you read here you can see how they did that:

This is the best article for picture: https://www.propublica.org/article/obam ... -loopholes

Here is a follow up article about the loophole exemptions being approved: https://www.staradvertiser.com/2020/11/ ... ntal-laws/

This is another great article: https://www.amlu.com/2020/08/22/preside ... i-mansion/

QUESTION: Does any one know when the old seawall will be coming down? The one thing that shocked me was that in Magnum PI, the beach is just a few feet from the top of the sea wall - in other words, there is a ton of sand. When I went two years ago, there was probably 5 feet from the top of the seawall to the beach (which is very small now). SO there has been a lot of deterioration of the beach. The new seawall will be 11 feet apparently, which I am sure is better for privacy and security, but I would imagine it will have a fortress type look to it.

It looks like the old boat house is there - not sure if it will be renovated or torn down, but it was there when I was.
QUESTION: I am wondering, has anyone been allowed access to the inside of that boat house and if so are there photos of the interior as it is now? Just wondering.
thanks
Canada

I was there in the summer of 2018 and got to swim in the tidal pool. What a joy that was! The house had already been torn down unfortunately (that was done in the spring of 2018 as I recall) but I did get a peek at the house back in 2008 when I first visited. As you said a lot of the sand has eroded - the seawall looks much higher now because of it. You'll recall on the show they used to sit on that seawall - that's how high the sand used to be against it. Now you'd need a ladder to climb up on that seawall. I actually did walk on top of the seawall to get a better glimpse of the grounds. Also because of the sand erosion there's no more beach. The water splashes right against the seawall. The water even covers some of the steps that lead to the gate.

But isn't it interesting how the Democrats are always so pro-environment, except when it interferes with their interests then they find loopholes around it??? How typical. You'd think the first thing Obama would want to do is get rid of that seawall.

[Pahonu]

I visited Pahonu in the summer of 2019. I wanted to get there before any further renovations were done to the property. While I was there I was told by the locals that former President Obama had visited the property several times and though it was initially denied that he had anything to do with the sale, it looks like he does. They are building two houses on the estate to get around some bylaws about house sizes. There are two excellent articles worth reading and they also show the new layout of the estate and how it has been subdivided. Apparently one house is for President Obama and the other one is for Nesbitt (the person who bought the property). They applied for and got, a permit to rip down the original sea wall and put a new one up. There was some opposition but if you read here you can see how they did that:

This is the best article for picture: https://www.propublica.org/article/obam ... -loopholes

Here is a follow up article about the loophole exemptions being approved: https://www.staradvertiser.com/2020/11/ ... ntal-laws/

This is another great article: https://www.amlu.com/2020/08/22/preside ... i-mansion/

QUESTION: Does any one know when the old seawall will be coming down? The one thing that shocked me was that in Magnum PI, the beach is just a few feet from the top of the sea wall - in other words, there is a ton of sand. When I went two years ago, there was probably 5 feet from the top of the seawall to the beach (which is very small now). SO there has been a lot of deterioration of the beach. The new seawall will be 11 feet apparently, which I am sure is better for privacy and security, but I would imagine it will have a fortress type look to it.

It looks like the old boat house is there - not sure if it will be renovated or torn down, but it was there when I was.
QUESTION: I am wondering, has anyone been allowed access to the inside of that boat house and if so are there photos of the interior as it is now? Just wondering.
thanks
Canada

Very thorough article from Pro Publica, thank you. They’ve written several over the last few years.

There’s much here to unpack. There’s so much more evidence of seas level rise now than just 10-15 years ago that public policy is behind. Beach erosion from sea wall construction is well documented and no new construction is permitted in Hawaii. The permit requests for Pahonu are to strengthen and increase the height in areas, not to tear them down and rebuild. It also includes a request to place walls further back as part of the reinforcement. There’s a giant EIR linked in here somewhere about the plan including engineering and construction drawings.

The central issue is what to do about existing sea walls, some like parts of Pahonu’s that have been around for a century. This leads to the classic battle between private property rights versus the rights of the public as a whole. If all the sea walls are removed, private property owners would lose much or all of there property and the many millions it is worth. This is why Eve Anderson applied for, paid for, and got the easement to keep them for the next 55 years. Without that right her property would have lost a large part of its value as it would otherwise be destroyed as time passed. Who would buy a property doomed to destruction and with no legal way to prevent it? When she got the easement, the sale went through, albeit for about half of the initial asking price.

The frustrating part for environmental groups is that stronger laws relating to existing sea walls have been repeatedly stalled by the real estate and development/construction industries. It’s about regulations that will affect their business and their profits. Again, it’s the battle between private property and the public good.

[Canada Jones]

Pahonu:
I posted another question in the forum asking if anyone had done a 3 D model of the estate and I was told that you are the expert on Robin's Nest. It's funny, and I have no idea why I feel like this, but I feel the sale of the property and the complete renovation has left me feel very sad. To me the property was a very special place. I had read the stories (and denials) years ago when the property was sold that President Obama was behind the sale. Everyone denied it. It was a life long dream of mine to swim in the tidal pool and when I heard that a president was buying it I thought I had better get there soon in case the Secret Service forbade swimming out the back of the property. The soonest I could get there was 2019 and by then the house was gone. BUT I was very pleased to see the boat house still there which was a partial win. The real win was swimming in the tidal pool and sitting on those steps. Incredible.

I guess no one knows what changes will come. It was my understanding that they were redoing the whole wall - they have budgeted 3 million which sounds like a complete redo to me. I also do not know if they will forbid swimming there if the Obamas are in residence. I also wonder what will happen to the homeless person living in his van directly across from the front gate under the big tree.

One regret I have is that I did not press the buzzer on the front gate to see if there was anyway I could get on the estate to take photos. Not sure if anyone has tried. I also would love to see what the interior of the boathouse looks like. I am not sure why I did not - I think out of respect to the people who live there but in hindsight I wish I had tried.
I would love to hear your thoughts Pahonu. Do you live in Hawaii and have you ever been on the property?
thanks
Canada

[ZelenskyTheValiant (Ivan)]

Canada, I don't remember a buzzer on the front gate. In any case since the house is gone I doubt ringing the buzzer would do anything. Plus no one is on the premises except maybe some workers. As far as swimming in the tidal pool I don't believe anyone can forbid that (not even the Secret Service) because all beaches in Hawaii are public. That tidal pool doesn't belong to anyone. It's public.

[robicurp]

Correct on swimming in the turtle pond. All Hawaiian beaches are public access by law. I plan to do just that, this August!
When the Obama's are in residence though, I wouldn't be surprised if you'd have an audience of secret service people watching you swim

[Pahonu]

You likely will have a secret service audience. After Richard Nixon resigned, he moved to San Clemente here in Southern California, to a beachfront home called Casa Pacifica. It was very close to a state campground and my wife’s grandmother told me about camping there at the time. California has similar beach access laws as Hawaii. As people enjoyed the beach and came close to the home, they would be notified by secret service that they would be monitored if they chose to stay in the area. They couldn’t force them to leave, though there is a point above the mean high tide line where beach property does become private here in California. I’m not sure if that’s true in Hawaii, but with the water reaching the estate sea walls at high tide, all of the sand that’s dry at low tide would be public, if the same rules apply there.

[Pahonu]

Pahonu:
I posted another question in the forum asking if anyone had done a 3 D model of the estate and I was told that you are the expert on Robin's Nest. It's funny, and I have no idea why I feel like this, but I feel the sale of the property and the complete renovation has left me feel very sad. To me the property was a very special place. I had read the stories (and denials) years ago when the property was sold that President Obama was behind the sale. Everyone denied it. It was a life long dream of mine to swim in the tidal pool and when I heard that a president was buying it I thought I had better get there soon in case the Secret Service forbade swimming out the back of the property. The soonest I could get there was 2019 and by then the house was gone. BUT I was very pleased to see the boat house still there which was a partial win. The real win was swimming in the tidal pool and sitting on those steps. Incredible.

I guess no one knows what changes will come. It was my understanding that they were redoing the whole wall - they have budgeted 3 million which sounds like a complete redo to me. I also do not know if they will forbid swimming there if the Obamas are in residence. I also wonder what will happen to the homeless person living in his van directly across from the front gate under the big tree.

One regret I have is that I did not press the buzzer on the front gate to see if there was anyway I could get on the estate to take photos. Not sure if anyone has tried. I also would love to see what the interior of the boathouse looks like. I am not sure why I did not - I think out of respect to the people who live there but in hindsight I wish I had tried.
I would love to hear your thoughts Pahonu. Do you live in Hawaii and have you ever been on the property?
thanks
Canada

Hey Canada,

I returned your PM.

I don’t live in Hawaii and have never been inside the estate grounds. One member, Styles Bitchley, got a photograph with his young son just inside of the open gate several years ago. A former member, Bondtoys, had a friend who was shown the property when it was for sale and took several photos. Even then, it was only a tour of the exterior of the buildings and the grounds. The structures had deteriorated pretty badly and were not being shown. It was essentially an as-is sale with the land having nearly all of the value, and redevelopment expected. If Mrs. Anderson had wanted to preserve the structures, there is a process to apply for historical designation in Hawaii. It likely would have severely limited the number of potential buyers and driven down the sale price. She obviously chose not to do so, much to many fan’s lament.

My model was made over many years using public records, historical newspaper stories, fan photos, and scenes from other TV series that filmed inside the estate. It’s surprisingly accurate and detailed, but not perfect.

[Canada Jones]

Thanks Pahonu! I responded to your PM before I saw this response. I would be very curious to see what the inside of the boat house actually looks like. I had heard that they were not doing tours inside the house for the open houses during the sale process but when I was there in 2019 I saw someone coming out of and then going back into the boathouse (on the upper level) which made me think that someone is definitely living in it - oh and it wasn't Tom Magnum!
Canada

[Pahonu]

Thanks Pahonu! I responded to your PM before I saw this response. I would be very curious to see what the inside of the boat house actually looks like. I had heard that they were not doing tours inside the house for the open houses during the sale process but when I was there in 2019 I saw someone coming out of and then going back into the boathouse (on the upper level) which made me think that someone is definitely living in it - oh and it wasn't Tom Magnum!
Canada

There’s a photograph floating around here somewhere of the single upstairs room of the boathouse from the time the estate was listed for sale. It’s most of the upstairs interior space and about 10x 15 feet if I remember correctly, a medium sized bedroom. The rest of the upstairs is a small bathroom about 5x10 feet on the side of the guesthouse facing the Shriners property. If someone was living in it, they had no kitchen facilities. It’s basically like a hotel room. The downstairs is basically a garage space with unfinished floor and ceiling, with the pair of doors facing the beach used to bring water equipment back and forth to the sand. It’s about 3 1/2 times the size of the upstairs enclosed space. I’m not sure it would be as intersects to see as you envision. It’s nothing like the fictional guesthouse.